Pathfinder Academy Students Attend Camp Westwind
Portland, Oregon (PRWEB) July 10, 2013 -- Last week, eight Pathfinder Academy students and five of their children were welcomed to Camp Westwind, a program of the Portland YWCA. Three Pathfinder Academy staff members accompanied the students and their babies on what would prove to be a formative, unforgettable six-day journey full of new experiences and challenges in the wilderness.
Teens usually have to give up their own childhood when they find themselves pregnant. Experiences many youth take for granted, such as camp, are no longer available to them. This year was the first time Pathfinder Academy students attended Camp Westwind, and the first time the YWCA opened up its camp program to pregnant and parenting teenagers. The YWCA further supported the youth by providing scholarships that made it possible for them to attend camp.
Students were concerned about leaving their families and friends for six days, bringing their babies into an unfamiliar environment, and not having cell phone reception way out in the woods. After a three-hour bus ride to Otis, Oregon, they boarded a barge and “made the crossing” of an estuary that led into camp. For a few, this was their first up-close encounter with a boat or a body of water; overcoming their fears and getting on the boat with their young children were the first of many triumphs during the week.
Shortly after arriving at camp it became obvious to staff and students that lack of cell phone reception would hardly be noticed. The students were immediately engaged with opportunities to try things they had never had access to before: kayaking, hiking, archery, exploring tide pools, taking their kids to the beach, building bonfires and making s’mores. Each student faced his or her own reservations, displaying the courage to take risks and try new things. Before leaving for camp, one young woman expressed worry about not being able to swim; she had never been to the ocean before, and thought she was too afraid to go near it. By the end of the first day, she and her two year-old daughter had ridden in a boat, ventured into caves and tide pools at the edge of the water, and even fallen in a few times. Each experience was met with laughter and the realization that she is much braver than she ever knew.
The unfamiliar environment provided opportunities for each student to step up and help out with crying, hungry, or tired babies, or to offer encouragement to peers who were feeling nervous or uncertain about an activity. For one, whose life in Portland is plagued by gang activity and unhealthy relationships, a week at camp was a chance to breathe easily, and to make new friends. He got to see that he is a person worthy of being surrounded by people who have his best interests at heart.
Camp Westwind gave students the joy and personal growth that come from being in nature. Most of the students had never been on a hike or sat around a bonfire. Not only did they get to see for themselves what it’s like to be in the natural world, they were also able to share the experience with their own children. Camp Westwind was a welcome break from cramped apartments and unsafe neighborhoods.
It’s impossible to exaggerate how valuable going to camp was for these young parents. For some, participating in activities at camp uncovered new interests and talents. For others, the most important thing was accomplishing something new. For these youth, who rarely see themselves as the tough, remarkable people they are, the importance of succeeding in a new and challenging environment was life-changing.
The YWCA of Portland and the Camp Westwind staff were instrumental in making camp available to these young parents and in ensuring that their experience was both challenging and rewarding. Camp week will be a lasting memory for the young parents and for their children.
About Pathfinders of Oregon
Pathfinders of Oregon is a 501(c) 3 organization whose mission is to break the cycle of criminality. Pathfinders has taught programs within the Oregon Department of Corrections for 20 years. In the community, it offers programs to families impacted by the criminal justice system through its Center for Family Success in Rockwood and operates an alternative education program for pregnant and parenting teens at its Pathfinder Academy.
Mindy Clark, Pathfinders of Oregon, 503-977-6399, [email protected]
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